


Antivenom

by AshTheAvatar



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, Korrasami - Freeform, LOK - Freeform, tlok - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-10
Packaged: 2018-03-11 06:03:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3316859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshTheAvatar/pseuds/AshTheAvatar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in Season 3 episode 13: “Venom of the Red Lotus.” The two weeks following the Zaheer fight, leading up to Jinora’s inauguration. TW: Depression, PTSD, Suicide</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Current Word Count: About 7.5k | Status: COMPLETE | TW: Depression, PTSD, Suicide.

Korra awoke three days after her near deathly encounter. Her mind struggled to focus as a fog dominated to pull her back into unconsciousness. Her physical and spiritual strength had been diminished and she almost let the fog enclose her once more.

“She’s stirring! Korra!”

 _That voice._ Asami’s voice. Korra latched on to the resonance of her voice and dragged her eyelids open as far as she could. That was the only part of her body that would currently respond to her. Her mother, Senna, was at her side. Her father, Tonraq, stood strong behind her,placing a hand of support on Senna’s shoulder. Tenzin stood near the doors as if he was guarding them. Asami stood at the foot of Korra’s bed.

“Oh, thank the spirits you are awake,” her father sighed. Korra could feel the tension the past three days of uncertainty caused. It hung like thick venom that reached out and poisoned her loved ones.

“Honey, can you hear me?” Senna tenderly grabbed Korra’s hand.

Korra blinked, scanned the room once more and focused on each face, saying their name in her head once more. _Mom. Dad. Tenzin. Asami._ She tensed the muscles in her neck, released, and allowed her head to bob slightly, forming what she could of a nod.

“Tenzin, I know she is recovering as well, but when she feels up to it, may I ask Kya to heal what she can of Korra?” Senna turned toward Tenzin without letting go of Korra’s hand. Tenzin nodded and his eyes softened as he shifted toward Korra. Tenzin felt the guilt of not being able to protect the nation he led and more importantly his own student. He was thankful for all Korra did, yet he regrets how costly the repercussions were.

“Korra, I promise to assist you in your recovery process as much as I possibly can.” Tenzin bowed and left the room, shutting the door silently behind him. All eyes drifted back on to Korra and smiles began to warm the room.

Asami bit her lip and gripped the footboard. She wanted to stay by Korra’s side for as long as she could, but she realized this moment should belong to her parents and her presence might suffocate her. “I’ll go fetch us some lunch and some fresh water for Korra.”

“Yes, thank you, Asami,” Tonraq said.

Senna stood from her stool and handed Tonraq Korra’s hand. Asami left the room to Korra and her parents, while Tonraq placed his chin on their clasped hands.

“I can’t tell you how relieved I am to see you still here with me,” he gulped as if preparing what he had to say, “Seeing you in pain like that… It was unbearable. My little girl should never have to had experience such a thing. I felt so helpless, holding you in my arms, watching you suffer… Your mother and I learned very early on that you are a fully capable and strong individual, but in that moment… I felt like I had failed you as a father, Korra. I wasn’t able to do the one job I was meant to. I couldn’t protect you… I’m so sorry.”

Korra closed her eyes as tears began to fall down her cheeks. Her father followed suit, and collapsed on her stomach. He repeated apologies until Korra called what strength she could and squeezed his hands.

It’s okay, dad. It’s okay. Please don’t cry.

Tonraq filled his lungs with air as he attempted to compose himself. He let out a shallow laugh, “If only we could have kept you back home your whole life! That would’ve kept you safe, huh?”

Senna wiped away her fallen tears as well and joined in with the laughter, trying to do her part to lighten the room. “Your father and I wouldn’t have to worry about boys, too! I’d just be the family.”

Korra cracked what she could of a smile. She almost wished it had been that way too.

\---

Asami slid the wooden doors shut behind her and leaned on them. She could hear Tonraq’s speech to Korra and knew she left at the right time. Feeling the growing intimacy of their conversation, she pushed off the door and headed toward the kitchens of Air Temple Island.

_Korra…_

Asami’s thoughts, whether in a public or private setting, constantly gravitated toward the avatar. It had not always been this way, but Korra became a pivotal part of her life and soon became what Asami would pour her heart, energy, and time into. Though initially admiring her as just the avatar, Asami grew fond of the girl behind the title. This fondness continued to blossom the more time she spent with Korra, the more they grew to learn how the other thinks, moves, and speaks. Their synchronization was natural as their styles complimented each other and their ability to anticipate the other and respond accordingly had become impeccable.

Asami’s feelings, however, were nothing like she had ever felt before. It started as a spontaneous flicker of interest whenever she saw Korra or heard of her name. The flicker would subside as soon as it had sprung once the static of her life snapped her back to reality. Slowly it grew into a continual burn that would cause her stomach to flutter when Korra smiled and cause her chest to ache when Korra was away or with another. Soon, it became undeniable and uncontrollable for Asami. She had suspected this when recalling the immense protectiveness she felt when whisking away Korra from Ming-Hua and Ghazan. Asami dared them to attempt to take Korra from her arms. Her feelings were confirmed when she saw the poison draining Korra’s strength by each passing moment. Asami Sato was in love with Korra and she could not bear to see her struggling to stay alive.

She reached the kitchens and found them to be empty. Without hesitation, she rummaged through the shelves and began to prepare simple boxes of southern water tribe-style squid stew over rice. The extent of her cooking was limited to the recipes she learned from her family’s chef, but she figured that she should at least attempt to replicate a basic meal for Korra and her family. She was slightly relieved that she had to prepare the meal herself, as it gave her time to think of what she would in turn say to Korra when the time was right. She certainly wasn’t as forward as Korra, but Asami was not ashamed of her feelings either.

_Maybe this isn’t the right time to even bring this up. It’d be selfish… She’s recovering and who knows how much damage the poison actually did to her. I just hope that she’ll be okay. I know she’ll be. Korra’s strong._

Asami finished making the lunch boxes, grabbed a pail of fresh water, and began walking back toward Korra’s room.

_I’m going to just be there for her. What ever she needs. Doctors, medicine, a caretaker, a friend… I’ll be that for her._

Asami knocked lightly on the door before entering and handed Tonraq and Senna their boxes. Korra had fallen back asleep and Senna sat next to her, patting her fore head with a damp cloth.

“Squid stew? That’s my favorite, Asami! I didn’t know you knew how to cook water tribe food!” Tonraq whispered to her, as he began to stuff his face.

“Yeah, Korra mentioned it was her favorite as well, so I learned, in case she ever got homesick in Republic City.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Asami,” Senna took her lunch and began to eat as well, “Thank you, this is lovely.”

“Definitely not as good as yours though, eh, Senna?” Tonraq nudged her with his elbow.

“Asami’s is plenty fine!” Senna said, shooting Tonraq a warning look.

“No! I’m sure he’s right. I would love to learn how to cook it authentically some day,” Asami smiled and took a seat next to Tonraq.

“I’d love to teach you,” Senna offered.

“Thank you, I’d like that.”

“Bring Korra with you too. Girl can’t cook to save her life,” Tonraq laughed, causing Korra to stir and exhaustedly open her eyes.

Asami quickly placed her lunch box on the table, and grabbed the fresh water. She poured Korra a small cup and placed it gently to her lips. With her other hand, she raised Korra’s head slightly as the water began to trickle down her throat. Once Korra was finished drinking, Asami placed the cup down and proceeded to pat Korra’s fore head and neck with the damp cloth.

“…Thank…you.” Korra rasped and glanced up at her.

Asami looked at her with astonishment and simply smiled.

\---

“Why don’t you two head to bed? My room’s right next to Korra’s, so I’ll be able to check up on her throughout the night,” Asami offered. Night had fallen and the air became crisp. The lights around the island began to illuminate the buildings and pathways and a blanket of quietness rested itself upon the earth. “After what you’ve been though, you deserve your rest.”

“Thank you, Asami, for all your help. I know you don’t have to do all this for us… For Korra.” Tonraq said, giving her a nod.

“Well, Korra is a good friend and means a lot to me.”

“We certainly can see that. She’s very lucky to have you,” Senna hugged Asami. “Well if anything happens, you know where we’ll be. ” Senna and Tonraq departed Korra’s room and traveled down the hall to their guest room.

Asami sat next to the resting Korra. She pulled the blanket up to Korra’s shoulders and brushed the stray hair from her face. Her fingertips skimmed Korra’s jawline ever so lightly and Asami buried her hands in her lap.

“I’m sorry…” She stuttered aloud.

“It’s okay.” Korra whispered, as the corners of her lips perked a little.

“Korra! Are you okay? Do you need water?”

Korra nodded and Asami grabbed the water cup. She held Korra’s head as she drank the full contents of the cup.

“Do you want more?”

“No, that’s fine. Thanks.”

Asami placed Korra’s head down gently on the pillow and placed the empty cup back onto the nightstand.

“You should get some rest too, you know,” Korra said.

“I will. I just… wanted to make sure you’d be alright for the night,” Asami glanced down to her hands.

“I will be.” Korra’s voice was flat. It wasn’t as vivid as before, and it was much more quiet and submissive. Asami placed a hand on Korra’s shoulder.

“I have no doubt about it. Kya’s coming in tomorrow to begin healing sessions with you, and I can bring in other doctors if you’d like?”

“No. I don’t need anymore people seeing me like this.” Korra averted her gaze from Asami. Asami gave Korra’s shoulder a delicate squeeze.

“That’s fine, just take as much time and space as you need to heal.”

Korra nodded and let her eyes sink back closed. She was soon fast asleep again and Asami let her hand slip from Korra. She took a moment to examine the being before her. Korra was the Avatar, the most powerful bender alive, and yet she was in such a fragile state right now. Asami had seen Korra at her prime and it took her aback to see her at the contrasting extreme. In that moment, however, Asami merely saw Korra as a victim of fate. She saw firsthand the danger Korra was constantly put under and tried to empathize the pressure she faced being the ‘world’s savior.’

Asami stood silently from the stool and headed toward the door. She looked back to check on Korra one last time.

Korra, don’t worry about the rest of the world right now. Just worry about you and your recovery. Being the Avatar can wait.

Asami shut the doors and saw a patrol guard making his usual rounds.

“Good evening, ma’am,” the patrol guard bowed.

“Good evening. Please see to it that Avatar Korra has a guard at this post throughout the night. If they hear anything, please come get me in the next room immediately.”

“Yes, ma’am.”


	2. Chapter 2

The following morning, Asami awoke to footsteps outside her door. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was already nine in the morning. Typically, she rises at six to begin work, thus the extra hours disoriented the career-driven woman. The warmsunlight danced through the window and illuminated her room. A light sea breezekissed her face, as she rose to her feet. Asami disrobed from her sleeping gown and began to arrange herself accordingly. She had been raised to find pride in presenting herself well and she enjoyed appearing professional and applying make-up. It gave her the courage to lead assembly lines, give press conferences, and fight the ‘bad guys’ when she needed to. Though she never quite fancied senseless violence, she wasn’t ashamed of using her martial arts skills to protect her self and those she cared about (while also looking cute, of course). While adding the finishing touches, she heard Tenzin and Kya walking past her room.

“How severe is the damage?” Kya asked.

“We don’t know… We were hoping you’d be able to tell us after today’s session.”

“I see,” Kya and Tenzin stopped outside of Korra’s room. “I’ll do what I can, but if it’s beyond me…”

“Just do your best,” Tenzin reassured.

Asami left her room and joined them out in the hallway, “How is she? Is there anything I can help with?”

“We have yet to find out, but as a matter of fact, I will need you Asami. Please join me inside,” Kya opened the door for Asami, but closed it before Tenzin could enter. “Women only. Sorry, Ten-ten.”

Senna was in the room with an already awake Korra. Her entire eye sockets were so darkened it looked bruised and her lips were chapped and peeling. Her body was almost motionless, as her breathing was shallow and her limbs limp. Asami bit her lip at the sight, but soon joined Senna’s side in caring for Korra.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come in sooner. I can’t believe I overslept.” Asami said as she patted Korra’s forehead down with a fresh cloth.

“Oh it’s alright, Asami. You must’ve been exhausted.” Senna responded as she slid the damp sheets off of Korra. “Ready, Kya?”

“Almost.” Kya was sitting next to a big tub of water. She added certain herbs and essential oils to the water to aid in the effect of her healing.

“Asami, dear, please help me take Korra’s clothes off.” Asami assisted her in sitting Korra upright, causing Korra to wince in pain. Senna began to peel Korra’s tank top off of her as Asami held Korra’s torso up. Once Korra’s bindings were off, Asami laid her back down gently, trying to minimize the impact as much as possible.

“How are you feeling today? Any better?” Asami asked.

“Not really.” Korra rasped.

Senna removed the rest of Korra’s clothes and gathered up new towels. Korra lay there, naked and open to the air of the room. Asami couldn’t help but glance at Korra’s muscular figure. Bruises coated her body more than her actual skin tone. She had pictured the moment she might get to see the avatar’s body in full when she was alone late in her office some nights, but this moment was completely different than what she had pictured. There was nothing inherently sexual about the look Asami gave Korra’s body. What she had pictured didn’t at all contain pain, sadness, or any sense of apprehension. There was no desire to touch Korra, as Asami felt her hands would burn Korra’s skin on contact and any pressure would shatter her.

“Don’t look at me like I’m fragile. Please.” Korra begged as she caught Asami gazing at her. Before Asami could apologize, Kya was ready to begin her healing. Senna and Asami lifted Korra into the tub and stepped back to allow Kya the space to do her work. The water around Korra’s body began to swirl and sway. The herbal leaves followed the push and pull of the small waves and the scent of the oils began to aromatize the room. The air smelt of basil, eucalyptus, and peppermint and a few other scents Asami couldn’t identify.

“This will take a few hours. The damage is quite deeply rooted. I’ll need the room to be quiet for me to completely focus.” Kya’s eyes were closed and her moves were fluid. The water began to glow luminescent.

“I’ll take that as our cue to leave,” Asami noted. Senna nodded in agreement with her and the two left, leaving Kya to her work. “I guess I’ll just try to get some work done until she’s finished.”

“Yes, please take care of your company, Asami. Korra wouldn’t want your business to become damaged just because she is.”

Asami nodded and tried to smile as she headed back into her room. Her smile faded, while she sat at the desk provided for her and pulled out paper work she was very much behind in. She stared at the sheets of paper before her and found them to be insignificant in comparison to Korra. Nevertheless, she reluctantly began, even though her mind was unable to concentrate and constantly being pulled to the next room.

\---

Dusk was upon the island as Kya finished the session. She left Korra’s room exhausted and in need of rest herself. Asami heard Kya close Korra’s door and immediately sprung to her feet. Though she was able to catch Kya in the hallway, she saw the tiredness on Kya’s face and decided to keep it brief.

“How’d it go?” Asami asked.

“Honestly, not well.” Kya straightened her back and took a deep breath, “Most of her muscles are torn from the amount of strain she put on them during the fight. She exerted her body to its breaking point.”

“Can you heal her?”

“I can encourage the body to repair itself, yes, but the damage is far past physical. If she wants to fully recover… She’ll have to choose to continue fighting on her own.”

“I see. Well, thank you.” Asami bowed slightly and let Kya be on her way. She turned and peaked into Korra’s room. She was fast asleep and in a fresh robe with clean sheets covering her. Asami decided to let her rest for the rest of the night and continued on to her own room.

Later that evening, Asami was fast asleep when she was suddenly awoken by Korra’s screams. Asami sprung out of bed and threw open Korra’s door.

“Korra!” Asami was at Korra’s side and saw Korra thrashing in bed. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her body was drenched in sweat.

“No!” Korra shouted, “You…can’t do….this…Zaheer!”

“Korra! Korra, he’s not real!” Asami grabbed onto her arms and tried to settle her.

Korra’s eyes flashed open to reveal a flicker of glowing turquoise light. Her body shook with alarm, and she grabbed onto Asami’s arms. She blinked, causing her eyes to retract to their normal state.

“Asami?” Korra wheezed. Her eyes darted around the room looking for the man who attempted to kill her not a week before.

“Yes! Yes, I’m here, Korra. You’re safe. He isn’t here. You were having a nightmare.” Asami sat on the edge of her bed and brushed Korra’s hair from her face. Korra’s body began to relax and she let go her tight grip on Asami’s arms. Korra winced at the movement of her arms falling down to the bed.

“Did…Did he kill me?” Korra muttered. Asami’s eyes widened at the question.

“No, thank the spirits, he didn’t. You’re still here.” Asami’s face raised into a smile.

“I thought he did… I don’t feel alive anymore.” Korra’s voice was barely audible. Her eyes were shut off to the world.

“I know it may seem like that, but, Korra, you have to keep fighting,” Asami grabbed Korra’s hand, “please.”

“I’m tired, Asami. I’m tired of fighting.” Korra’s hands were limp in hers. Asami dropped her head. She knew of the light in Korra’s eyes that drove her fighting spirit, and admired her for always taking her obstacles as fuel. To see Korra finally defeated fazed Asami with her previous perception of the ‘unbreakable’ Korra.

“You must be, but the Korra I know, would still fight for herself.” Asami unwaveringly held Korra’s hand.

“Maybe that wasn’t me…” Korra’s eyes began to pool with tears, “It was Raava.”

“No, it was you, Korra. Raava does make you powerful and an amazing bender, but you are so much more than that, okay?” Asami grabbed the cloth on her nightstand and dampened it with cool water. She dabbed Korra’s tears and began to wipe down Korra’s face and neck. “You’re a kind and compassionate person who fights for justice, opportunity, and peace… And I’m really glad that you are still here.”

Korra was silent as she listened to Asami, but held onto her hand as she spoke. At the moment, Korra couldn’t respond to words that was difficult for her to believe, but she tried to at least appreciate the sentiment. She was convinced the world didn’t need the avatar anymore, much less the avatar’s human shell. She was brought up to believe her worth was dependent on being a successful avatar, and she did not feel even remotely successful. However, it was easier for her to come to terms with this presumed notion, when her best friend told her that she was still loved regardless.

Asami understood her silence and pulled the covers over Korra once more. “Do you want me to stay?”

“No, it’s okay.” Korra looked at her and tugged at the corners of her lips, “Thank you, though.”

Asami naturally returned the smile and stood. She smoothed the sheets where she sat and wordlessly headed toward the door.


	3. Chapter 3

For the next three days, this was the cycle that Asami was apart of. It would begin with breakfast (a warm rice soup with an egg mixed into it). Then, Korra would begin a healing session with Kya that would proceed into the afternoon. Once Kya was done, Asami would bring the lunches from the kitchen and her, Senna, or Tonraq would help Korra eat her lunch. Korra would become tired after this, and would nap for an hour. When she awakens, Asami would bring books and the day’s newspaper to read to Korra. Asami claimed it would help Korra’s mind recalibrate by becoming aware of current events again. Though she wasn’t wrong, knowing the state of chaos in the Earth Kingdom did not help Korra with her current status at all. 

Korra began to feel impatient with herself and childlike with the amount of assistance she needed to do simple tasks. One night, while Korra was in need of the bathroom, she took it upon herself to try and attempt to get there herself. With still only limited mobility of her arms, and a complete lack of mobility of her legs, she struggled immensely but refused to call for help. She fell from her bed, wincing at the pain that coursed up her side, and crawled to the wheelchair across the room. Finally pulling herself onto the chair, her forehead was dripping with sweat and she was gasping for breath. She left her room and was headed toward the bathroom when a patrol guard saw her. 

“Avatar Korra! What are you doing up? Do you need some assistance?” 

“No!” She struggled to push the wheelchair forward. The muscles in her arm were weakened from the lack of usage. The amount of water she drank that day wasn’t enough and it left her dehydrated and delirious. Her muscles screamed in agony as she pressed forward. 

“I am in direct order to alert Miss Sato of any activity regarding the Avatar.” The guard stammered, as he began knocking on Asami’s door. 

“No, leave her be! I can do this!”

Asami came out into the hallway and watched as Korra inched her way toward the bathroom doors. “Korra…” Asami called out, while keeping her distance. 

“I said I can do this!” 

“Should I get Master Tenzin, Miss Sato?” The guard asked. 

“No. Let her try.” Asami clenched her fists in anticipation. She was silently rooting for Korra to make it. But she didn’t. Korra’s body gave out and she fell from the wheelchair landing hard on the wooden floor. Asami ran to her side, but Korra flinched at Asami’s touch. She buried her face in the floor as hot tears streamed down her brown cheeks. Tonraq appeared behind Asami and picked Korra off the ground as if she weighed no more than a leaf. Asami stood where she was and watched him walk her back into her room. 

The following morning, Korra refused to turn toward anyone and lay on her side for the entire day. She refused to eat and barely accepted water. 

“Korra… Please eat. You’ll need your strength if you ever want to get better,” her mother said, as she rubbed Korra’s shoulder. 

“If I ever get better,” Korra muttered. 

“You will! You just have to remain positive.” 

Korra stopped responding to their attempts at conversation and tried her best to lull herself to sleep. The images of being enclosed in a coffin of green crystal and the feeling of chains clasped around her entire body prevented her from doing so. Time seemed elusive to her. She wasn’t sure what hour or day it was, but time was uncontrollable. It seemed to slip past her when she was trapped in her memories, but thick and coagulated when she was present. She felt constantly suffocated by the way the air didn’t feel right in her lungs now and how easy it would be for her to stop breathing. 

“I brought you some tea, if you’re awake…” Asami said softly, as she entered with a tray of tea. Korra was ripped from her thoughts, but stayed facing the wall. Asami placed the tray of tea down on the desk and leaned against the wall. “I know what happened last night was disappointing… but, you can’t let that get you down. I still believe you can get back to your old self.” 

“The old Korra is gone,” Korra snapped. Asami jumped at the sudden harshness of her tone. 

“Well, I still believe in you…whoever she might be.” 

Fresh tears rolled down her face and dampened her pillow. She remained as quiet as she could, despite her shaking shoulders. For the first time in Korra’s life, she was unable to say who she was. She no longer felt like the person she thought she was. She no longer felt her connection to Raava. She no longer felt like the avatar… 

She no longer felt anything. 

\---

Jinora’s inauguration was now a week away and Korra was able to sit upright on her own. She gained back limited movement in her arms, yet her legs were still unresponsive. For most of the hours, Korra sat in her room encapsulated by a dull numbness. The movement around her blurred and the sounds were muffled. Her attention to the present was short. Her interactions with others were often one sided and she didn’t respond if she didn’t feel it was necessary. Though, her physical strength was returning, it was not the case for her entirety. 

“Why don’t you try and bend today?” Kya piped towards the end of their session. “I know I feel at most like ‘me’ when I’m bending. Maybe it’ll help you.” 

“Yeah, okay.” For a moment, a dim light flashed within her and she looked forward to bending again. Not being able to feel the chi free flowing throughout her body made her feel stagnant, so she thought this might help.

Kya put a bowl of water on Korra’s lap. She placed her hand above the bowl of water and tensed her fingers. The water pulled up toward the pam of her hand, before Korra had to stop and take a breather. She tried again and the water slowly moved to her command. 

“That’s it!” Kya cheered! “Keep your focus! Feel the energy flow through your body.” 

Korra tugged at the water to follow her hand. She spun the water into a ball and held it. She took a deep breath and blew on it, causing it to freeze over. The ice landed in her hands. She smiled. 

“I’m so proud of you!” Kya ran over and hugged Korra tightly. “This calls for a celebration. How about some lychee cake? I’ll go run and get some from the kitchens.” 

Kya bounded out of the room just as Asami opened the door. “You guys want cake too? I’ll just get for everyone!” 

_Guys?_ Korra thought. Standing behind Asami was Bolin and Mako. 

“Surprise!” Bolin excitedly greeted as they burst through the door. 

“What’s she on about?” Mako asked. Korra held up the ball of ice to them. “You finally bent again?! That’s great, Korra!” 

“Yeah, that seriously IS great! You know, considering, you haven’t for awhile… For a second, I had this crazy idea that Zaheer might’ve even had the same power Amon did.” Bolin chimed in. Korra’s arm dropped and the ice ball fell into the bowl. 

“Bolin, shut up.” Mako chided. “It’s great to see you, Korra.” 

“It’s good to see you too.” She said flatly. 

Asami took the bowl of water from her lap and placed it on her nightstand. “They wanted to come see you, and I thought it was finally a good time.” Asami said quietly to her. 

“Yeah, Korra, we MISSED you!” Bolin clasped his hands together and pouted his lip. “We didn’t know what was going on with you, only what Asami could tell us over the tell-o-graph.” 

“Yeah, the whole city misses their avatar,” Mako put his hands on his hips and smirked. “We’re ready for you to come back.” 

“Well, she’s not ready to come back,” Asami snapped. “It’s only been a week.” 

Mako crossed his arms and squared up to Asami. “Whenever she’s ready!” 

_I wish they’d stop talking like I wasn’t there._ Korra’s head was down and her eyes were on her hands in her lap. 

“Maybe she can make her grand come-back at Jinora’s ceremony!” Bolin suggested, throwing his hands up. “That’d be perfect!” 

“That’s Jinora’s time, though,” Korra muttered. 

“…Or not,” Bolin dropped his hands. “It’s okay. I can talk to Varrick and maybe when you’re up for it, we can film a short mover that’ll show before the nightly news. Guess who’s back, Republic city… THE AVATAR!” Bolin said as he tried to imitate a news anchor. 

Korra watched Bolin’s animated gestures and felt her chest get heavier with each word. It’ll be too late, by the time that airs… People will have moved on. Forgotten about the avatar. 

Asami glanced at Korra and could see her expression getting grave, “Korra, why don’t you rest a bit.” 

Korra nodded slightly and Asami ushered Mako and Bolin out of her room. The door slid shut, while Asami looked apologetically to Korra. 

_Maybe she wasn’t ready._ Asami worriedly thought.


	4. Final

That night, Korra had another nightmare. She had been having nightmares every night since the first, and in every instance, Asami would rush into her room to try to calm her down. Korra’s body would suffer fierce convulsions and moments where she would unintentionally go into the avatar state as her body thought it was being attacked once more. The effect of these tortuous nights was drawing Korra further away from recovery. The disparity between her mental and physical health became greater with each passing day. Kya’s healing sessions repaired her torn muscles, but her dreams were tearing her psyche apart. The nightmares became increasingly more graphic and prolonged as she remembered more details of the fight. This night caused her to be trapped in the moment Zaheer forcefully bent the air out of her lungs and ceased airflow. Her body gasped for air and her arms flailed. 

When Asami became aware of Korra having another nightmare, she swiftly entered and grabbed Korra’s writs. She had to hold them firmly, as Korra’s physical strength was beginning to recover and Korra could easily overpower Asami. Asami realized Korra was wheezing for air and pulled her upright. 

“Korra! Korra, breathe!” Asami shouted as she tried to wake her. “He’s not here!” 

Korra’s body tensed and involuntarily jerked, causing her to awaken. Her eyes focused in on Asami. Her mind, unable to comprehend the sudden violent change, fooled her into thinking the figure before her was Zaheer and her arms shoved Asami away from her. Asami flew across the room and landed close to the door. While Asami was recovering from the shock of the fall, Korra came to her senses. She saw Asami’s position and felt the lingering tenseness in her arms. 

“Asami… Asami, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!” Korra shouted. 

“Korra, it’s okay, I know. Are you okay?” Asami asked worriedly, as she found her way back to Korra’s side. 

Korra placed her head in her hands and rubbed her face roughly. “No…No… No! Why? Why did you wake me up?!”

“What do you mean? You were having a nightmare!”

“You should’ve let him kill me!” 

“Korra, you aren’t making any sense.”

“Just let me die! Let him kill me! I’m tired of going through this every single night!” 

Asami was speechless. She didn’t know what to say to Korra to make her feel any better. Her hand found Korra’s and held it securely. She pulled herself toward Korra and held her closely. Asami buried her head into Korra’s shoulder and began to cry. Asami didn’t understand fully why she was crying, but she felt so overwhelmed with frustration toward herself for feeling so helpless when the woman she loved was experiencing such turmoil. 

“I’m sorry…” Asami said and she removed herself from Korra once she realized how long she was holding her. “I’ll… let you go back to sleep.”

“No.” Korra said in a low manner, “please stay. I don’t think I can be alone tonight.”

Asami’s eyes widened and her face softened. She nodded and awkwardly sat on the edge of Korra’s bed, unsure of where she should place herself. Without a beat, Korra moved herself to one side of her bed and patted the empty side. She laid down and closed her eyes. Asami was hesitant at first, but laid down next to Korra. She kept her distance, as she was conscious to make sure to give Korra space. Korra’s breathing slowed and became deeper with each breath. Asami soon followed.

\---

She awoke before Korra and blinked herself out of the haziness of sleep. She glanced around Korra’s room to get her bearings and remembered what happened the night before. She sat up and looked down at the woman next to her. She took a deep sigh and brushed the hair from Korra’s face. 

The door quietly slid open and Senna stood at the frame. “Oh! Asami, I didn’t expect you to be in here.”

“Korra had another nightmare last night. She was pretty shaken up, so I stayed with her for the rest of the night. I hope that’s okay,” Asami sheepishly said and stood up. 

“Of course. Thank you. I can watch her now, if you’d like to get more rest,” Senna offered. 

“Oh, I actually slept pretty well last night.” Asami smiled softly as she glanced toward Korra. “I’ll go change into proper clothing, though.” 

“You know where we’ll be!”

Asami headed toward the door, but stopped before leaving, “I was thinking we could take Korra out for a walk around the island today. Might be nice.”

“That’s a good idea. I think so too.”

—-

Senna walked along side her daughter as Asami pushed the wheelchair. Korra’s eyes remained forward and unresponsive to her surroundings. They seemed glazed over with thought. Korra’s shoulders slumped forward and she could barely hold her head upright. Her muscles were strong enough now, but her lack of will to hold herself upright was weighing her down. 

“Here we are!” Asami pushed Korra into the open space of the terrace. The bright sunlight caused Korra to squint her eyes and shy away from the sudden brightness. She shaded her eyes with her hand, while looking around. 

“What’re we doing out here?” She asked. 

“We thought you’d want some fresh air, honey,” Senna placed a hand on Korra’s shoulder. They walked around and parked themselves below a large tree that sat rooted next to a wide pond. The shade cooled their skin and a light breeze blew through their hair. Asami offed the bench to Senna and sat on the grass next to Korra. Korra was facing the pond and saw her reflection for the first time. She hadn’t realized that her demeanor was so indicative her feelings of hopelessness inside. She felt her hair being lightly pulled and realized her mother was braiding her hair. 

“Korra, do you remember when you were little and you’d always help Dad go fishing for our dinner? You’d come home with your catch always too little to provide any real meat, but we’d cook it up anyway for you. You’d be so proud of your catch and you’d say, “I caught this on my own! I can take care of my self! I’m Korra the hunter!” You always found the need to roar your name when you said it too, which I always thought was cute. My little moose lion cub,” Senna reminisced as she continued to braid Korra’s hair. “All done! How did I do?”

Korra glanced at the pond and tried to smile only for her face to contort weirdly. “Thanks, mom. It’s nice.” Korra did think the braid looked nice, but it didn’t help her feel any less ugly inside. Her mother’s story ripped her apart. _Where did that little girl go?_ Korra thought. _Who took her away from my mother?_

“I’d love to hear another story about baby Korra, Senna,” Asami smiled. 

“Oh! There was this one time…” 

Korra’s thoughts began to drown them out, as the water in the pond became the only thing she saw. _I did. I took her away from my mother._ The water began to look inviting. _That little girl is gone, because of me._ Korra leaned forward. She gripped the arm bars of her wheel chair and pushed herself off. Asami and Senna’s heads followed Korra as she plunged into the pond. 

“Korra!” Both of them screamed. 

Korra bent the surface of the pond into a thick solid layer of ice. She sunk down to the bottom of the pond and made no attempts to swim. She looked up and saw the light shining through the layer of ice. It diffused the light around the pond and she saw two koi fish swimming around her. 

_This…This is how it needs to be._

“Someone get Tonraq or Kya! Now!” Asami screamed towards the guards. Senna grabbed a rock and jumped onto the ice. She began banging on the ice with as much force as she could, but the ice was so thick it didn’t do much damage. 

_I won’t recover. The world needs a new avatar. One capable of handling the duties of the avatar. I can’t-_

Korra saw a small figure the size of a child walk onto the ice. She thought it might’ve been Meelo or Ikki and hoped someone would take them away from this sight. The small figure bent down. 

“Korra! Where are you, Korra?” It playfully called out. The voice roared the word ‘Korra.’ Little Korra hit the ice with the palm of her hands. “I’m here! Where are you?” 

_I’m here._ Korra mouthed. 

“The world needs us! And if anyone says otherwise, they just have to deal with it! You have to deal with it!” Little Korra laughed and smiled from ear to ear. Little Korra’s hand transcended the ice and reached out for Korra. Korra thought of how comfortable she was getting at the bottom of the pond. The water weighed down on her body like a soothing blanket. What air she had left was leaving her lungs and the feeling that had haunted her at night gripped her now. “We can do this, Korra. Trust me. You need to come back, though. I need you.”

Korra was going to close her eyes and let the rest of the oxygen escape her, but a man picked Little Korra up. The man, with a baldhead and a scar across his left brow held Little Korra by the nape of her shirt. 

_Zaheer!_ Korra gripped the pebbles beneath her. 

Amon and Unalaq stepped up behind Zaheer. Their faces all contorted into twisted smiles. 

“Kill the avatar. Kill the avatar! KILL THE AVATAR!” They began to chant. 

“Any last words, Avatar?” Zaheer asked Little Korra. Little Korra’s eyes welled up with tears and she looked down toward Korra. 

Korra pulled her legs under her with her arms. She focused her chi to the center of her being and evoked the avatar state. The pond began to glow a bright luminescent blue. 

Tonraq and Kya ran into the open space as the pond started to illuminate. Tonraq knew what was about to happen and pulled Senna off the ice in one quick movement. 

_Get your hands off of her! I will protect her! I will fight for her! I will save her!_ Korra burst through the ice and landed on the hard ground near the pond. She coughed and gasped for air as she came down from the avatar state. She looked around and saw her mother, father, Asami, and Kya surrounding her. Senna pulled Korra into her lap and cradled her. 

“Korra, honey, are you okay?” Senna’s face was streaked with tears. Korra reached up and wiped the tears from her mother’s face with her damp hand. 

“Korrrra, the hunter, is okay. She just had to find me,” Korra choked. 

“What is she talking about?” Tonraq worriedly said. 

“Give her space, she obviously needs oxygen!” Kya said. 

“Korra, please be okay…” Asami whispered to herself.

\---

Asami sat on a chair across Korra’s bed. Korra lay resting, while hooked up to a ventilator. The past week left Korra’s lungs strained and the extra help from the ventilator would ease her struggle to breathe. After the incident, Asami immediately called in an order for one. It was delivered that night along with a box full of brand new medical equipment for Kya to use. Asami hadn’t left Korra’s side since the incident two days ago. It was decided that Korra needed constant supervision and that she shouldn’t be left alone in case she were to try something like what happened again. Though there were rotations between Senna, Tonraq, Tenzin, and Kya, Asami was constantly there. 

Tenzin walked into the room for his shift of watching Korra. “Good evening, Miss Sato.”

“Good evening, Master Tenzin. Have a good day at work?” She asked, looking up from her engineering magazine. 

“The council is deciding what should be done with the Earth Kingdom and how trades will be effected. I’m sure your company will hear of it soon.” Tenzin bowed his head. “I should have been here for this.”

“You wouldn’t have known. You were all the way in Republic City when it happened.” 

“I offered help that I couldn’t provide. I hope Korra will know how deeply sorry I am for that.”

“I’m sure she will.”

Tenzin stood next to Asami as they both looked at the resting avatar. “You’re very brave for taking care of Korra, Miss Sato.”

“No,” Asami placed the magazine down in her lap. “If anyone’s brave, it’s Korra.”

—-

The day of Jinora’s ceremony was here. Korra was off the ventilator and able to breathe on her own. Though she now had a newfound purpose to continue to at least survive, she was still struggling to come to terms with regaining strength and mobility. Asami awoke early to help Korra prepare for the ceremony. She brought her hair and beauty supplies into Korra’s room. 

“I know this stuff isn’t really your thing, so I’ll go easy.” Asami laughed lightly. The corner of Korra’s mouth tugged slightly at her joke. 

“There you go! All fixed up for a formal avatar appearance. Take a look,” Asami said, holding a mirror up for Korra. Korra’s eyes briefly glanced at the mirror. Her reflection was like the one she saw in the pond, dolled up to not match what she felt inside. 

“It’s great. Thanks.” 

“You know, no body expects you to bounce back right away. It’s only been two weeks.” Asami got down to Korra’s level and place a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve already made so much progress and I’m proud of you. You still can take as much time and space to heal… I want you to know that I’ll always be here for you. If you ever want to talk…or anything. But lets just try to enjoy this today, for Jinora.”

Korra was pulled from her train of thought and nodded as she took a breath. “You’re right. Okay, let’s go.”

Asami stood up and grabbed the wheel chair handles. She pulled Korra from the window and the two exited the room to attend the ceremony together.


End file.
